Issue - meetings

Report of the Director of Planning and Regeneration

2.1   Cabinet noted the key issues that relate to Northampton as set out in the report.

2.2            Cabinet approved the suggested comments and responses to the consultation as set out in Appendix 1 of the Cabinet report.

Councillor Church, as the relevant Portfolio Holder, submitted a report that set out the key issues that related to Northampton within the East Midlands Regional Plan Partial Review: Options Consultation and sought Cabinet’s approval to the Council’s response to the consultation.  He noted that the report followed on from the debate at Council on 8 September in respect of the Emergent Joint Core Strategy to seek the targets for housing to be reviewed and questioning deliverability of those targets and highlighting that growth could not be accepted without proper infrastructure being in place and adequately funded.  Councillor Church noted the decline in housing completions over the last three years which was predicted to continue for the next two years.  It was clear that the targets to 2021 would not be met.  The Emergent Joint Core Strategy consultation process had shown up the weaknesses in the RSS Transport Strategy and funding regime which he believed had let Northampton down.  He also noted cuts in funding to WNDC for infrastructure projects.  He commented that regional policy concentrated on the Derby, Leicester, Nottingham triangle and that Northampton was treated as being on the fringe of the region.

The Director of Planning and Regeneration noted that it was important for the Council to seek to review the RSS process to help shape the Council’s and West Northamptonshire’s documents.  Growth had to be managed and planned for.  Councillor Woods commented that the Council had a responsibility to provide for the next generation and it was important for the critical decisions to be correct.  Councillor P D Varnsverry noted that Northampton would be the regional lead for the Cultural Olympiad from 2011 through to the opening of the Olympic Games in 2012.

RESOLVED:         (1)         That the key issues that relate to Northampton as set out in the report be noted.

(2)         That the suggested comments and responses to the consultation as set out in Appendix 1 of the report be approved.